If taking supplements for bone health is part of your daily routine, you might want to rethink what it is you’re taking.
On Tuesday, a meta-analysis was published in the Journal of American Medical Association claiming that vitamin D and calcium supplements don’t actually lower fracture risks in older people.
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Researchers looked at 33 clinical trials that studied 51,145 people over the age of 50. They found that there was no significant difference in risk fractures between people that took placebos or had no treatment and those who took calcium supplements, vitamin D supplements or both.
According to the researchers, “No significant associations were found between calcium, vitamin D, or combined calcium and vitamin D supplements and the incidence of nonvertebral, vertebral or total fractures.”
All the people they looked at were “community-dwelling,” were not on anti-osteoporosis medication and did not have a history of steroid-induced bone breakdown.
Although this news is discouraging, that’s not to say that calcium and vitamin D is pointless. Researchers only looked at the effects of supplements specifically in regards to bone health. In addition, researchers didn’t study how dietary intake of calcium and Vitamin D affects the body and it’s always preferable to maintain a healthy diet to ensure you get sufficient nutrients. Speak to a doctor about how this study might affect you.
